Ramblings from Texas

In my first weeks here as someone was driving me around, I saw an American flag that was about the size of a small European house. That's when I remembered–everything is bigger in the USA, and in the USA everything is bigger in Texas.

This (see pic above) is boot lane. Only in Texas. :-)
Apparently one farmer here likes to take his old ugly boots and put them on the fence posts to rot. I will have to count the boots one day.


Almost everywhere I have been to in the USA they have this same saying: If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes. I think it is a well used saying because wherever an individual is at the moment, they feel like that place is the most of something or other. It must be some kind of "center of the world" mentality. Anyway, I have noticed that in certain places the weather can change quite quickly. Kansas City was one good example, it's just hit from all sides with different fronts & pressures to make it have some very exciting weather sometimes.
When I came to Texas I was thinking something like: Ahhh... winter will be over and like a good little Weegie I can sit out in the sun and change my pasty white skin into a finer color. Then I remembered that I don't have pasty skin, but I FEEL like I do. Does that make it true?
Back to the weather.
I was not expecting snow, although I guess somewhere I knew it was a remote possibility. I did not bring much winter clothes, having so much faith for the weather to be fine.
Alas! (isn't that a great word? Maybe I've been in writing class too long now).
The last week has been crazy weather (remember, I am in the center of the world, or maybe universe). The high will be 15-ish one day (Americans–Don't freak out. I am using something called CELSIUS. It is what the rest of the world thinks in). The next day the high will be -1˙C. That is a 16 degree change for the HIGH in just one day. It has done that multiple times this week.

I wouldn't mind so much if I could DO something in the snow, or if I had clothes for it. If I actually went outside in it most of Texas would have a heart attack.
This brings me to my next point.
Nobody walks in Texas. Nobody except for me.
When I do walk, they all stare at me like I am crazy. The kind ones will pull over in their truck (there are few cars here in Texas) and ask me if I need a ride somewhere.
When I go walking I am always praying that the kind people will be somewhere else.
Someone here told me it was impossible to walk to town. They said the same thing in Oregon and we found out it took about an hour to get to walmart. I have no car here, in fact only one girl has one and she doesn't like to drive (go figure). I got dropped off in town one day and decided to walk back.
It took me 3 hours and 10 minutes.
And it was pouring rain.
Someone from the center here saw me and offered to give me a ride, but I had already made it 2 hours and knew that I was almost there.
So I kept walking.
Plus, when you are already soaked down to the underwear yet warm from walking it seems nonsensical to get a ride at that point. I would just have made the car soaking wet.
I had at least 2 Hollywood worthy moments when a truck drives by and sprays you with a wave of water from a puddle. And of course a couple nice strangers who asked if I needed a ride.
I will not be walking to town again, but I have proven it can be done.

As I write, I am sitting inside and I can hear this giant (remember, everything is bigger in Texas) flock of birds outside. It is somewhere between cute and creepy. Think the old movie.

This is Texas. :-)